Two Shadows - the inspirational story of one man's triumph over adversity

[Wingpeople]

by Charlie Winger

This autobiographical book is filled with Winger's adventures during 35 years of mountaineering, climbing rock & ice, and world travel. People who have met Charlie, attended one of his slideshows, or read his guidebooks will recognize his knack for telling stories. Some are hair-raising, some are a little crazy, and some will have you laughing out loud.

But Two Shadows is about more than climbing. It is the story of a boy who grew up in an atmosphere of neglect and abuse. He made numerous bad choices in life which resulted in his being sent to prison at age eighteen. Yet, he was able to turn his life around.

Quoting from the introduction:
"Although this is an autobiography, the story Charlie tells in this book could be considered as an allegory for whatever personal summits we are attempting to scale. The mental fortitude, perseverance, and bonds of friendship needed to scale the peaks described here are no different than the qualities needed to excel in life in general."
 
Two Shadows is available for $2.99 on Kindle. It is also available for Nook, as a Google eBook, and in Paperback.

4.5+ Stars on Amazon - 22 reviews -- learn more on our KindleBoards book profile

(for a report on how the FREE KDP Select days are going, scroll down to message posted 12/26)

[writer2020]

This sounds interesting.

I also love the cover photograph.  It's beautiful.

[Wingpeople]

Thanks. The background is a peak in Peru called Tocllaraju. Don't ask us to try to pronounce that. Charlie and several other mountaineers were on a climbing trip in the region several years ago when he took that photo. They did not manage to climb that particular peak, but did climb several others in the region.

The razor wire in the foreground is from a prison in the U.S.

[Wingpeople]

Two Shadows will be on display in the Reading Room at this year's Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in early November. It has been entered in the category:

Mountain and Wilderness Literature – includes non-fiction and fiction books on mountaineering,
mountain history, mountain travel, mountain culture and environment, mountain adventure
and mountain or wilderness experience of any kind.

Wish us luck!

[Ann in Arlington]

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[Wingpeople]

We've just completed an interview with adventure blogger Kate Levy for her Adventure-Inspired site. She send us a lovely note:

First and foremost, thank you so much for the opportunity to read what is an absolutely incredible story,and one I would imagine is difficult to tell.

The interview and a contest sponsored by her site to win a free copy of Two Shadows - The inspirational story of one man's triumph over adversity will probably be posted on her blog late next week.

[Wingpeople]

The review of Two Shadows and our interview on Katie Levy's Adventure-Inspired site are now up -- and greatly appreciated!

http://www.adventure-inspired.com/2011/11/interview-with-charlie-and-diane-winger.html

We really appreciated this comment from "Sarah" on the Adventure-Inspired article:

"I love this style of adventure writing where a major part of the storyline is personal growth. I have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to be so honest about their life - it's inspiring to read about because we all have to overcome our own obstacles. It's nice when an author doesn't gloss over everything except the climb "

[Wingpeople]

We were so pleased with this article about Two Shadows -- especially that Charlie's story might help a young offender turn his life around.


Norman psychologist recommends autobiography by Charlie Winger

Dr. Jean Trousdale, Ph.D, a consulting psychologist for CommunityWorks, an outpatient Behavioral and Mental Health Clinic in Norman, lauds a new autobiography by guidebook author Charlie Winger, stating, “I wish every kid who is incarcerated could read the book.”
...
Trousdale was inspired to obtain permission to send a copy of “Two Shadows” to a young man she counseled while he was at a juvenile detention center, and who is now incarcerated in an adult facility. Like Winger, this young man has continued his education even while in prison, and she hopes that “in passing ‘Two Shadows’ along I might be able to inspire a young man I came to know quite well.”
 

Read the entire article here:
http://normantranscript.com/features/x1048515206/Norman-psychologist-recommends-autobiography-by-Charlie-Winger
 

[Wingpeople]

Another review of Two Shadows from The LL Book Review:

All his life Charlie Winger has been climbing. He rose up out of his recidivistic destiny to a successful white collar career, ascended some fascinating and daunting peaks around the world, and overcame prostate cancer. Now, past seventy, he's taking on the bureaucratic mountain of gaining an official pardon for his earlier crimes, to rid himself of that shadow. Two Shadows is his mountaineering-focused memoir.

Read more...

Two Shadows is currently rated 4.5 Stars with 23 reviews on Amazon.

[Wingpeople]

We made TWO SHADOWS free today & tomorrow (12/26 - 12/27/2011) through Amazon Prime. Here are the results so far (we'll keep updating this post over the next several days):

12/25  9 pm  Rank:  30,919 (Paid Kindle)

12/26  7 am  Rank:  5,732  (Free Kindle), Downloads:  166
12/26  9 am  Rank:  1,953                    Downloads:  254  #13 in Kindle Autobiographies/Memoirs
12/26 11 am  Rank: 1,373                     Downloads:  372  #11    "
12/26  1 pm  Rank:    868                     Downloads:  421    #9    "
12/26  3 pm  Rank:    801                     Downloads:  498    #8
12/26  6 pm  Rank:    781                     Downloads:  604    #8
12/26  8 pm  Rank:    794                     Downloads:  681    #8

12/27  8 am  Rank:    784                     Downloads:  851    #7
12/27 10 am  Rank:   798                     Downloads:  919    #7
12/27  Noon  Rank:    866                     Downloads:  962    #7
12/27  4 pm  Rank:    878                     Downloads: 1062   #8   
12/27  9 pm  Rank:    973                     Downloads: 1139   #8   
         
         

[KirstenM]

Thanks for sharing, always nice to get data on how other authors are faring.

I set up a day for free downloads for my novel Can Job on December 19 and people downloaded at the rate of about 12 copies/hour.

Put it up again today and rate of downloads is much slower. Not sure why but would love to know if any other authors have data from both today and another day to compare to mine . . .

[Wingpeople]

Kirsten - has the slower rate continued for you today? Did you get much of a bump in sales after your free day on Dec. 19?

Downloads and Rankings seem to have slowed this evening -- of course, it's also the middle of the night in GB, so that may account for some of it.

[CathyQuinn]

I also have a slower download rate now than mid-December -- probably just more books for people to choose from!

[Judith Price]

We made TWO SHADOWS free today & tomorrow (12/26 - 12/27/2011) through Amazon Prime. Here are the results so far (we'll keep updating this post over the next several days):

12/25  9 pm  Rank:  30,919 (Paid Kindle)

12/26  7 am  Rank:  5,732  (Free Kindle), Downloads:  166
12/26  9 am  Rank:  1,953                    Downloads:  254  #13 in Kindle Autobiographies/Memoirs
12/26 11 am  Rank: 1,373                     Downloads:  372  #11    "
12/26  1 pm  Rank:    868                     Downloads:  421    #9    "
12/26  3 pm  Rank:    801                     Downloads:  498    #8
12/26  6 pm  Rank:    781                     Downloads:  604    #8
12/26  8 pm  Rank:    794                     Downloads:  681    #8

12/27  8 am  Rank:    784                     Downloads:  851    #7
12/27 10 am  Rank:   798                     Downloads:  919    #7
12/27  Noon  Rank:    866                     Downloads:  962    #7
12/27  4 pm  Rank:    878                     Downloads: 1062   #8   
12/27  9 pm  Rank:    973                     Downloads: 1139   #8   
         
         

Hi WP,

Where do you see these stats?  Can you post a link of how to find them?  I need to know for my free book this weekend.

Cheers,
Judith

[Wingpeople]

I compulsively refreshed the amazon page for my book throughout the 2 days and collected the Rank; same for the KDP web page. I won't even get into the spreadsheets (complete with graphs) that I kept updated throughout the process.

You can take a computer geek out of the workforce ("retired"), but you can't get her to stop being a computer geek on her own time.

P.S. Sales following the 2 day Free period have been excellent.

[Judith Price]

I compulsively refreshed the amazon page for my book throughout the 2 days and collected the Rank; same for the KDP web page. I won't even get into the spreadsheets (complete with graphs) that I kept updated throughout the process.

You can take a computer geek out of the workforce ("retired"), but you can't get her to stop being a computer geek on her own time.

P.S. Sales following the 2 day Free period have been excellent.

Do you mean like a kindle book page http://www.amazon.com/Sudden-Deception-Oliver-Thriller-ebook/dp/B005LO5YTC  There is a rank, will is show up as a "free" rank when I go free?  Or is it the author page.  I think I am a bit worried since I put my book on free this weekend.  I just want to monitor it, especially with the new Apple announcement.

Thanks for all your help.

[Wingpeople]

Yes, that's the right place to check your Free rank once your giveaway period begins. Instead of saying "Rank: ____ Paid in Kindle Store" it will change to say something like "Rank: ____ Free in Kindle Store"

Best wishes for great success on your Free days & future sales!

[Judith Price]

Yes, that's the right place to check your Free rank once your giveaway period begins. Instead of saying "Rank: ____ Paid in Kindle Store" it will change to say something like "Rank: ____ Free in Kindle Store"

Best wishes for great success on your Free days & future sales!

Your the best WP.  Thanks!

[Wingpeople]

We'd like to share another review of Two Shadows (5 stars / Amazon):

Across Many Decades

Far too often, autobiographies are written before the entire story has been told. Famous people droning on about how they became famous when they are still fairly young. Two Shadows, however, is written the way an autobiography is meant to be and is a much more compelling story than those frequently offered by the rich and famous…(read more)

Two Shadows currently has 24 reviews on Amazon, and is rated at 4.5 stars.

[Wingpeople]

We'd like to thank "Andy Rane" (SAMulraney on KB) for featuring our interview on The Same Six Questions (although, since we write nonfiction, he had to modify some of the Same Six to fit).

Enjoy!

[Wingpeople]

Download your FREE copy of
Two Shadows - The inspirational story of one man's triumph over adversity
today only, March 4, 2012. We hope you enjoy it & will take the time to write a review.


 

[Wingpeople]

New: Two Shadows TRAILER.  Watch & please share!
 
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCHDXrJenlc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCHDXrJenlc</a>

[Wingpeople]

Yep -- get 'em while they're FREE!

1 day free KDP promo for

on Sunday, April 29. Be sure to check the price shown on the amazon page to make sure the book is still free when you order it.

4.5 Stars / 26 reviews

"it's a fantastic read for anyone interested in mountaineering or who wants to be inspired."

"His comeback from years in prison is truly a remarkable one, a story I found very compelling. I finished this book in a couple of days because I couldn't put it aside for very long."

"This book should be required reading for every juvenile delinquent. For the rest of us, it's an uplifting ride through the life of an exceptional man who appears to have thoroughly enjoyed life and has some powerful lessons to teach. "

[Wingpeople]

Many thanks to reporter & editor Betty Lundgren of the Beacon for her thoughtful and insightful article about Charlie and his memoir, Two Shadows. She writes:

We all have shadows of past transgressions in our lives, but probably not many of us have the title of “felon” on our resume.

(Did she get your attention yet?)

Winger describes in Two Shadows his two very different lives bridged by a love of the outdoors and mountaineering. He had a choice for where he could stand, either in the shadow of what seemed to be an insurmountable mountain or casting his own shadow at the top of a peak in the glorious sunshine of a better life. It is an amazing story demonstrating where the choices we make in life can take us.

The full article from the Beacon can be read here.